Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2001/06/04
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]I am well and truly chastised. As an ex-physicist, I should even be ashamed. If I understand what you did, it sounds as if battery drain and visible meter display are not correlated. Oh Leica, how could you! So, it appears that you clipped a wire to the central spring contact in the battery compartment, another to the camera body, and them completed the circuit through battery and milli-ammeter. Bravo! What in the world are the test terminals that you covered with tape? I can't identify such on chrome 0.72 M6TTL Serial No. 2495983. Regards, Herb >I am afraid you are mistaken and now I have to dig up that message >again....... > >(pregnant pause while he digs through the archives) > >......and here it is in its entirety: > >------------------------------------- >I have read many posts about the voracious battery appetite of the TTL; and, >armed with a Fluke 88 Multimeter, an open mind and that curiosity of all >things Leica innate to those on this list, I decided to find out for myself. >The hapless victim is a chrome 0.72 M6TTL serial no. 2472064 and the >operation involved using various (and nefarious) methods know to those of >you of scientific or farming backgrounds. In order to meet the stringent >requirements of our august body, generous amounts of black tape was >employed. The results are as follows: > >Camera's Observed State // Current Draw > >Shutter speed dial set to "off", shutter wound or released and pressure on >shutter release or not // 0.00 milli-amperes > >Shutter speed dial at any position, meter not activated and shutter wound or >released // 0.00 milli-amperes > >Shutter speed dial at any position other than "B" and "off", meter activated >and shutter wound // 15.68 milliamperes > >Shutter speed dial at "B" position, meter activated (no display) and shutter >wound // 14.48 milli-amperes > >Shutter speed dial at any position but "off", shutter wound, and meter >activated but allowed to time out // 0.00 milli-amperes > >Shutter speed dial at any position but "off", shutter released and pressure >on shutter release // 16.48 milli-amperes > >Conclusions > >It is fine to leave the camera "on" as long as there is no pressure on the >shutter release. If there is pressure on the shutter release and the camera >is not "off", the battery will drain down regardless if the shutter is wound >or released. If the camera is being carried in a case, it would be prudent >to switch it to off; other than that, I would not worry too much. It is very >simple to rig up the above tests and if you are having problems with battery >consumption, I certainly would advise it before sending the camera back. >Leica states that a new battery will give around eight hours of metering >time so it would be easy to drain the battery overnight if there was >pressure on the shutter release. > >Cheers > >John Collier > >Oh, and I have followed Tom A. 's advice and covered the two small "test" >terminals at the base of the battery compartment well with black tape. > >---------------------------- > >> From: Herbert & Lee Kanner <kanner@acm.org> >> >> Some of the answers to this question appear to be a bit imprecise. >> The facts that I have observed on my TTL are: >> >> 1. Unless the shutter has been cocked, the exposure meter cannot be >> activated and the battery will not drain. >> >> 2. The "B" position and the "Off" position of the shutter control >> have an identical effect. >> >> 3. The non-TTL M6 instructions clearly state that when the camera is >> put away, the shutter should be set to the "B" position to prevent >> accidental battery drain. >> >> 4. When I asked the representative during Leica Day at Keep-it and >> Shove-it why the redundant "Off" position when "B" does the same >> thing, he smirked and said "That's Leica." >> >> Herb >> >> >> >> >>> >>> >>> ---------------------------------------------------------------------- >>> >>> Date: Sun, 03 Jun 2001 23:42:19 +0200 >>> From: Nathan Wajsman <wajsman@webshuttle.ch> >>> Subject: [Leica] M6 TTL questions > >> Message-ID: <3B1AAF3B.F290B5DA@webshuttle.ch> >>> References: >>> >>> I just received my new M6 0.58 from Rich at Photo Village. Great deal, >>> great camera. The only thing is that in the instructions it says that >>> the shutter button has to be in the OFF position when putting the camera >>> in the bag or just not using it for longer periods, even if the shutter >>> has been released and the light meter is not active. Can this really be >>> true? What are other TTL owners' experiences? >>> >>> Nathan >>> >>> - -- >>> Nathan Wajsman >>> Herrliberg (ZH), Switzerland >>> >>> e-mail: wajsman@webshuttle.ch >>> >>> General photo site: http://belgiangator.tripod.com/ >>> Belgium photo site: http://members.xoom.com/wajsman/ >>> Motorcycle site: http://www.geocities.com/MotorCity/Downs/1704/ >>> >>> ------------------------------ >>> >> -- >> Herbert Kanner >> kanner@acm.org >> 650-326-8204 >> - -- Herbert Kanner kanner@acm.org 650-326-8204